As we are in chapter 28 of Genesis we find our word for today. שַׁדַּי almighty, most powerful. It is used 48 times in the Old Testament. We see it first used in the Bible when God uses it to identify himself with Abraham. Genesis 17:1-2 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am אֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” We already looked at אֵ֤ל a long time ago which is the word powerful creator God and when you add our word for today with it you have over the top powerful creator God or אֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ God Almighty. What I find interesting is how Abraham reacts to God who calls himself almighty in the very next verse. Genesis 17:3 Abram fell facedown. This is a very appropriate response to אֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ A good example of this word regarding reverence of the creation being completely dependent on the creator is in Job 32:8 But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the שַׁדַּי Almighty, that gives them understanding. Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the שַׁדַּי Almighty gives me life.
The next time our word is used in the Bible is with Abraham’s son Isaac. Genesis 28:3-5 אֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.
I don’t think this is a coincidence that Isaac calls God שַׁדַּי almighty because of what just happened to him. He tried to go against God imposing his will onto the futures of Esau and Jacob but instead God used freewill actions of people to bring about what he had declared beforehand. Isaac knows firsthand that God is שַׁדַּי the almighty. So he calls on God to carryout his will in finding Jacob the right wife that would help him be successful in his purpose for the nations to be blessed through him. The good news is that if we are in Christ we can call out to God almighty to accomplish his purposes in our lives and those we love. This is what Isaac did once he realized that God’s will for his sons was better than his own ideas.
